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MISSION Healthy Democracy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to elevating the public's voice in our democracy. We work to advance innovative and powerful ways for the public to engage in the democratic process and improve our political discourse.

While bullshit may reach its apogee in the political domain, this is not a course on political bullshit. Instead, we will focus on bullshit that comes clad in the trappings of scholarly discourse. Traditionally, such highbrow nonsense has come couched in big words and fancy rhetoric, but more and more we see it presented instead in the guise of big data and fancy algorithms - and these quantitative, statistical, and computational forms of bullshit are those that we will be addressing in the present course.

"Around the country, people are grappling with how best to protect their communities and prevent future mass shootings. While it is necessary to develop a shared sense of how to proceed, some fear engaging in public deliberation about such hotly contested issues, especially at a time of such divisive political discourse. Will deliberating together under these circumstances only lead to greater conflict? "

People Pioneers is a new concept being tested in the 2015 UK general election. Whatever their political interests or Party affiliation,  Stephen will be encouraging people from all walks of life to listen systematically to each other across communities, to identify collective strengths, common concerns and key aspirations from within the whole constituency.   Stephen will work with People Pioneers to shape a broad based, independent organisation able to inform and support elected members - and hold them to account.   If elected to Westminster, Stephen pledges to meet regularly with the Pioneers for reflection, conversation, dialogue, discussion and action planning. 

"We'll take the White House. We'll take the Senate. Then, we'll enact a bold, day-one democracy agenda to ensure our country works for everyone, not just a powerful few. The only way we get there is if 2020 presidential candidates do three things:  1. Propose a bold democracy agenda; 2. Make democracy their top legislative priority; 3. Get real about how we get it done: ending the filibuster."